Results for: Rehabilitation

Inmates at the Provincial Correctional Centre in Prince Edward Island will now have unlimited phone access, thanks to an intervention by OmbudsPEI. Ombudsperson Sandy Hermiston received complaints from inmates for over two years, highlighting the lack of phone privileges and the lengthy screening process for approved numbers. OmbudsPEI’s investigation revealed that Prince Edward Island was the only province in Canada to limit inmate phone contact. The previous policy limited calls to close family members, lawyers, and organizations like OmbudsPEI, making it difficult for inmates to plan pre-trial releases and maintain relationships. This move aligns the province’s practices with the federal correctional system, which allows approved contact lists but does not restrict the number of contacts or limit them to close family.

In the 1950s, Synanon began as a drug rehabilitation program led by Charles “Chuck” Dederich. Over time, the group evolved into a cult-like movement with a confrontational form of group therapy. By the 1970s, Synanon had devolved into a dangerous paramilitary organization, with Dederich making bizarre demands and followers resorting to violence. The documentary “The Synanon Fix” explores this transformation, tracing the group’s utopian origins to its eventual descent into manipulation and darkness.